Figure toy



April 21, 1931. MALLARD 1,801,676

FIGURE TOY Filed April '22, 1929 2 SheetsSheet l L.L.MZ ar M X I v April1931- L. MALLARD 1,801,676

FIGURE TOT! Filed April 22, 1929 2 Sheets -Sheet" 2 KY gwue'ntoz L. MQZia/mi llIlIlIlllllllL Patented Apr. 21, 1931 imam L. IvIALLARn'orNORFOLK, VIRGINIA ,j FIGURE troy Application filed April 22,

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in figure toys andmore particularlyto a walking toy, the primary object being to provide atoy of the class described which gives a natural walking movement to afigure as it is drawnover the ground.

A still further object of' the invention resides in providing a combinedwalking and rolling toy which is so constructed that" the legs areactuated directlyfrom the rolling or traction elements, as the deviceispropelled. 1 f r Still another. object of the inventionvre- .15 sidesin eccentrically'mounting the wheels on the device so as'to produce atilting action'to the toy as the same is drawn over the ground. 7 7 7Still another object of the invention resides in producing the eccentricaction in connection with the wheels of the device through the medium ofan improved con-' struction in a crank shaft supporting-said wheels onthe body of thedevice.

Another object of the invention resides in providing a device which issimple and durable in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and onewhich will be very pleasing and interesting in use. I

With these and numerous other objects in view, my invention consists inthe novel features of construction, combination and arrangement ofparts, as will be hereinafter referred to and more particularly pointedout in the specification and claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a partof this application, v

Figure l is a side elevation of a toy con- 40 structed in accordancewith my invention;

Figure 2 is a bottomplan view thereof;

Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the same;

Figure at is a diagrammatic view showing a crank shaft constructed inaccordance with my invention andillustrating the posi 1929. Serial my.357,289.

the

shaft as the latter is rotated.

In describing my invention, I shall refer to the drawings in whichsimilar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughoutthe several views and in which 1 designates a base plate or support uponwhich is mounted the body 2, representing the body of a wagon. In orderto support this body 2 in substantially a horizontal position, thesupports 3 are provided between the body 2 and the plate or support 1. Asliding door 4 is provided in the rear of the body 2 which is adapted tocontact with the plate 1 when said door is in its lower most positionand when said door is raised, the contents of the body 2 may be ejectedtherefrom, as in a chute, inasmuch as the base member or plate l'isnormally in an upwardly inclined position toward its forward end, aswill be hereinafter and mor particularly set forth. 7

Mounted on the support or plate 1 at the forward end thereof, is a head5 repre senting the head of a horse, although I do not wish to belimited to this particular design. This is merely illustrative and itwill be understood that any other designs may be utilized. 1 f

'Pivoted as shown at 6 to each side of the plate "or support 1 adjacentthe forward end thereof, is a leg member 7. These leg members areadapted to be operated to produce a walking motion, as will behereinafter and more particularly set forth.

Depending from the bottom of the member 1 adjacent the rear end thereofon each side is a support 8. Mountedon the bottom faces of the support 8for rotation thereon is a crank shaft 9. This crank shaft isspecifically of anovel construction to produce eccentricity with respectto the wheels connected therewith and a tilting motion to the device asit is propelled. In carrying out this idea, the shaft 9 is provided withthe U-shaped crank portions 10, the outer opposed arms 11 of which areof greater length than the inner opposed arms 12 thereof. This may beclearly observed in Figure i of the drawings. The outwardly extendingstub axles 13, forming the ends of the crank shaft upon which the wheels14 are frictionally mounted, are inclined or offset slightly from thehorizontal, as clearly shown in Figure 4:. This inclination of each ofthe stub axles 13 is the same on both sides so thatiir one position ofthe crank shaft, the stub axle 13. will be directed upwardly, and thestub axle of the crank shaft at the opposite endwill-bedirecteddownwardly, but the stub axles in such position will be 'in'longitudinal alignment and on a line passing directly through the centerof the crank shaft 9, as illustrated by dot and dash lines in Figure f.

From this construction, it will be seen that the wheels 1 f mounted onthe 'stub axles 13 will rotate eccentrically with respect to the body ofthe crank shaft 9, but at the same time will be thrown laterally to oneside and the other in unison.

The crank portions 10 of the shaft 9 are connected with the legs 7through the medium of pitmans 15 and by reason of this particularconstruction of the crank shaft heretofore described, the toy, as it ispropelled, will be tilted from side to side to permit the walking actionof the legs to become more effective and thus produce a more realisticand more amusing toy. A flexible connection 16 is engaged with the headmember 5 so that the toy may be drawn along the surface of the ground bya child and as it is drawn, the wheels 14 will be rotated, obviouslyrotating the crank shaft 9 and causing the legs 7 to produce a walkingaction. The device will be tilted from side to side, as stated above,when the device is propelled and by being tilted, each leg is permittedto be lifted from the ground without dragging, which would be true, werethe wheels not eccentrically mounted.

From the foregoing description of the construction of my improveddevice, the manner of applying the same to use and its operationgenerally, as well as the details of construction thereof, will bereadily un derstood, and it will be seen that I have provide a simple,inexpensive and efficient means for carrying out the objects of theinvention.

While I have particularly described the elements best adapted to performthe functionsset forth, it is obvious that various changes in form,proportion and in the minor details of construction may be resorted to,without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the principlesof the invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a figure toy, a, body, legs pivotally mounted on the forward endthereof, the crank shaft mounted on said body at the rear end thereof,connections between the legs and the crank portions of said shaft toactuate the former upon the rotation of the latter and ground engagingwheels secured to the ends of said crank shaft on axes angular to theaxis of the crank shaft,

whereby to provide a tilting movement to the body and a walking actionto the legs, as the device is propelled.

2. In a figure toy, a body, legs pivotally mounted on the forward endthereof, a crank shaft mounted on said body at the rear end thereof,link connections between the legs and the respective crank portions ofsaid shaft to actuate the former upon the rotation of the latter, andwheels rigidly mounted on the ends of said crank shaft, said ends beingdisposed out of alignment with the body of the crank shaft to positionsaid wheels eccentrically with respect to the body of said crank shaft,whereby to produce a tilting motion to the body and a walking action tothe legs as the device is propelled.

3. In a figure toy, a body, legs pivotally mounted on the forward endthereof, a crank shaft mounted on said body at the rear end thereof,link connections between the legs and the crank portions of said shaftto actuate the former upon the rotation of the latter, the ends of saidcrank shaft being directed out of alignment with the body of the crankshaft and ground engaging wheels mounted on said unaligned ends of thecrank shaft and rigidly connected thereto, whereby when said device ispropelled, the body will be titled and the legs given a walking action..7 4:- In a figure toy, a body, legs pivotally mounted on the forwardend thereof, a crank shaft mounted on said body at the rear end thereof,link connections between the legs and the crank portions of said shaftto actuate the former upon the rotation of the latter, the outer opposedarms of each crank portion being longer than the inner opposed armsthereof and said crank shaft having its ends bent outwardly with respectto said longer arms of the crank portions to provide eccentric mountingsthereon, and ground engaging wheels rigidly mounted on the lastmentioned ends of said crank shaft, whereby when the device ispropelled, the body will be tilted alternately from side to side and thelegs given a walking motion.

5. In a figure toy, a body, legs pivotally mounted on the forward endthereof, a crank shaft mounted on said body at the rear end thereof,link connections between the legs and the crank portions of said shaftto actuate the former upon the rotation of the latter, the outer opposedarms of the crank portions of said crank shaft bein of greater lengththan the inner oppose arms angularly from said longer arms to form stubaxles, the stub axles being bent out of alignment with the body of thecrank shaft and in alignment with a plane passing through the center ofthe crank shaft at an angle to the Vertical plane thereof, and wheelsrigidly mounted on said stub axles, as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

LOGAN L. MALLARD.

thereof and end portions bent-

